Mold for concrete step construction



July 26, 1955 v. HOLLAND MOLD FOR CONCRETE STEP CONSTRUCTION 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 16, 1953 Victor L .Ho/land IN V EN TOR.

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Victor L. Hal/and INVENTOR.

V. L. HOLLAND MOLD FOR CONCRETE STEP CONSTRUCTION m w m M m e a T 0 A mU m 4 H W q H S I a r m 3 2 m y 6 .w m V i Y 6 7 it!!! I. 4 t n W 3 m mV. m d m m July 26, 1955 United States Patent MOLD FOR CONCRETE STEPCONSTRUCTION Victor L. Holland, Denham Springs, La. Application November16, 1953, Serial No. 392,346

Claims. (Cl. 25-118) This invention relates to the class of molding andcasting apparatus and more particularly to a mold for use in formingpre-cast concrete steps.

The primary object of this invention resides in the provision of a moldespecially adapted for use in conjunction with a mechanism for thevibration of the mold and which mold employs means for ensuring theconvenient and speedy removal of the casting after such has set.

Some of the advantages of this invention are that a one-piece pan typeseamless mold prevents leakage so as to eliminate blemishes and weakenedsteps while providing economy in the production line due to eliminatingthe necessity of assembling and disassembling the molds each time acasting is made, and while at the same time, producing integral treadand deck units with bottom and top extremities in parallel planes, thussimplifying the conveying, yarding, storage, transportation, packing andhandling of the product as they may be stacked level.

In pre-cast concrete step construction, various inserts for molds haveheretofore been used, but these have been found to be unsatisfactorysince they become so closely associated with or bonded to thecastingthat it is ahnost impossible to conveniently free the castingfrom the inserts or to form irregular surfaces in the casting and stillbe able to readily remove it from the mold. Therefore, this presentinvention includes the concept of providing means for urging a castingout from the casing in a positive manner while also utilizing means fordetachably holding plugs for forming irregularly shaped mortar groovesin the casting, the plugs themselves being formed of a resilientmaterial and being resiliently held by spring members in intimateengagement within holes in the casing of the mold. 1 I

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in theprovision of a mold for casting concrete steps that is strong anddurable, simple in construction and manufacture, capable of beingarranged to form pre-cast concrete steps of advantageous construction,yet which mold is simple to employ and relatively inexpensive toconstruct.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of theinvention which will become apparent as the following descriptionproceeds, are attained by this mold for concrete step construction, apreferred embodiment thereof being illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, by way of example only, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a mesh-like basket adapted to beseated in the mold for reinforcing the casting;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the mold comprising the presentinvention with the basket removed therefrom;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the mold with the mold in anoverturned position with respect to Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the mold;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view as taken along the plane of line5--5 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view as taken along the plane of line 6-6 in Figure 4;

2,713,710 Patented July26, 1955 Figure 7 is an enlarged verticalsectional detail view illustrating in particular the manner in which themold is supported so that it may be readily vibrated;

Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which thecasting may be readily removed from the mold;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the resilient inserts and supportingspring-like member interconnecting the insert; and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a step constructed in accordance withthe concepts of the present invention.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein likereference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views,reference numeral 10 generally designates the mold comprising thepresent in-.

vention which includes a casing 12 of rectangular shape havingrelatively deep depressions along three sides thereof as at 14, 16 and18. These depressions are formed by tapering channel-shaped portions 20,22 and 24 integrally formed with the casing 12. A relatively shallowrecess 26 formed by a relatively shallow channel portion 28 extendsbetween and communicates with the recesses 16 and 18.

Extending transverse to the recesses 14 and 26 are a pair of depressions30 and 32 in the casing 10 which are of the same depth as the recess 26and which open into the recess 28 and in turn to the recess 14.

Welded to the casing 12 in alignment with apertures as at 34 and 36therethrough are threaded collars 38 and 40. Extending through theapertures 34 and 36 and threadedly engaging the collars 38 and 48 areshafts 42 and 44 which are suitably threaded and which have attached totheir ends handles 46 and 48 for permitting free rotation thereof.Rotatably mounted on the shafts 42 and 44 in any suitable manner so asto prevent disengagement therewith while not permitting any relativemovement except rotation are a pair of push-plates 50 and 52, the

construction of which can be best seen in Figures 4 and 5. Thesepush-plates are of elongated rectangular shape and are adapted to engagethe lower surface of the casting formed in the mold 10 and urge theentire casting outwardly from the casing 12. p

In addition to the casing 12, the mold It) incorporates a basket 56formed of wire mesh 58 and having a peripheral framework 60 contoured toconform to the convolutions of the casing 11 so that the peripheralframework is supported in the casing in the recesses 12, 14, 16, 26 andinthe depressions 30 and 32 with the mesh 58 being spaced from the wallsof the casing 12. The basket 56 becomes integral with the casting whichis generally indicated at 62 after the cementitious mix has been poured.

The casing 12 is provided with a peripheral angle iron reinforcingmember 64 which extends about the peripheral upper edge of the casing 12and is adapted to provide means for supporting the entire mold as byclips 66 and chains 68 or by such other means as may be desired so thata vibrating member 70 can engage the casing 12 to vibrate the casing soas to settle the cementitious mix forming the casting 62.

The dish-shaped channels 22 and 24 are provided with apertures 72 and 74therethrough and the portions of the casing 12 defining the depressions30 and 32 are likewise perforated as at 76 and 78. These perforationsare elongated in shape and are adapted to receive elongated resilientwedge-shaped strips 80, 82, 84 and 86, respectively, which wedge-shapedstrips are preferably formed of a resilient material such as rubber orthe like. The wedgeshaped strips 80 and 84 are secured to a spring-likemetallic member 88 which continuously urges the strips 80 and 84inwardly of the holes or slots 72 and 76. Likewise, a resilientspring-like member 90 continuously urges the resilient plugs 86 and 82into the apertures 78 and 74, re

3 spectively. The plugs 80, 82, 84 and 86 will form in the casting 62suitable mortar recesses for keying the casting 62 with other elementsof the pre-cast step construction.

The arrangement of the resilient plugs 80, 82, 84 and 86 so as to formmortar locks and the fact that they are continuously urged inwardly ofthe holes in the casing 12 is highly important since the readydetachment of these resilient plugs can be obtained merely by furthertensioning the spring members 88 and 90 and withdrawing the entireassembly. With these resilient plugs removed, it is rather easy toremove the entire casting 62 since all that needs to be done is for thehandles 46 and 48 be rotated to cause the lifting or push-plates 50 and54 to urge the casting upwardly out of the casing 12 as can best be seenin Figure 8. After the casting has set and has been removed from thecasing 12, because of the vibratory member 70, a smooth surfaced andcarefully configurated step will be formed from the casting 62 as can bebest seen in Figure 10.

Since from the foregoing, the construction and advantages of this moldfor casting concrete steps is readily apparent, further description isbelieved to be unnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specificationand accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention tothe precise embodiment shown and described, but all suitablemodifications and equivalents may readily be resorted to which fallwithin the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A mold for step construction comprising a rectangular casing, saidcasing having relatively deep recesses extending along three of thesides thereof, and a relatively shallow recess along the fourth sidethereof, spaced wedge-shaped depressions parallel to each other and totwo of said sides and normal to and intersecting one of said relativelydeep recesses and said shallow recess, and means carried by said casingextending into said depressions for urging a casting out from saidcasing, a hole in said casing opening into one of said depressionsopposed to a hole in one of said relatively deep recesses, resilientplugs seated in said holes, and a resilient spring member terminallysecured to said plugs resiliently urging said plugs to seat in saidholes.

2. A mold for step construction comprising a rectangular casing, saidcasing having relatively deep recesses extending along three of thesides thereof, and a relatively shallow recess along the fourth sidethereof, spaced wedgeshaped depressions parallel to each other and totwo of said sides and normal to and intersecting one of said relativelydeep recesses and said shallow recess, and means carried by said casingextending into said depressions for urging a casting out from saidcasing, a hole in said casing opening into one of said depressionsopposed to a hole in one of said relatively deep recesses, resilientplugs seated in said holes, and a resilient spring member terminallysecured to said plugs resiliently urging said plugs to seat in saidholes, said plugs being of an elongated wedge shape.

3. A mold for step construction comprising a rectangular casing, saidcasing having relatively deep recesses extending along three of thesides thereof, and a relatively shallow recess along the fourth sidethereof, spaced wedge-shaped depressions parallel to each other and totwo of said sides and normal to and intersecting one of said relativelydeep recesses and said shallow recess, and means carried by said casingextending into said depressions for urging a casting out from saidcasing, a hole in said casing opening into one of said depressionsopposed to a hole in one of said relatively deep recesses, resilientplugs seated in said holes, and a resilient spring member terminallysecured to said plugs resiliently urging said plugs to seat in saidholes, said casing having a peripheral angle member secured thereto forreinforcing said casing and supporting said casing for vibrationthereof.

4. A mold for step construction comprising a rectangular casing, saidcasing having relatively deep recesses extending along three of thesides thereof, and a relatively shallow recess along the fourth sidethereof, spaced wedgeshaped depressions parallel to each other and totwo of said sides and normal to and intersecting one of said relativelydeep recesses and said shallow recess, and means carried by said casingextending into said depressions for urging a casting out from saidcasing, said means comprising push-plates, threaded shafts rotatablysecured to said push-plates, collars having threaded apertures securedto said casing, openings in said casing in alignment with saidapertures, said shafts extending through openings and engaging saidcollars, and handles secured to said shafts for rotating said shafts, ahole in said casing opening into one of said depressions opposed to ahole in one of said relatively deep recesses, resilient plugs seated insaid holes, and a resilient spring member terminally secured to saidplugs resiliently urging said plugs to seat in said holes.

5. A mold comprising a rectangular casing, said casing having a recesstherein, a depression in said casing spaced from said recess, a hole insaid casing opening into said depression opposed to a hole in saidrecess, resilient plugs seated in said holes, and a resilient springmember terminally secured to said plugs resiliently urging said plugs toseat in said holes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS690,987 Nelson Jan. 14, 1902 2,148,084 Nock Feb. 21, 1939 2,148,189Curran V- Feb. 21, 1939 2,173,253 Gallo v n Sept. 19, 1939 2,498,923Jordan 7 Feb. 28, 1950 2,595,066 Ferrin Apr. 29, 1952

